Decisions
by EragonPeep
Summary: It was down to Teyla to decided if she was to go with Michael to keep Atlantis safe or to stay and condemn everyone to their deaths. How hard is a question like that to decide? Live or die? There are always consequences to the decisions we make. HIATUS!
1. Chapter 1: Decisions

**REDONE!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Stargate Atlantis. All rights belong to MGM studios.**

**Decisions**

"_You alone showed me compassion. You were the voice of conscience" _

_Michael 'The Prodigal'_

_________________

_Teyla_

"I would very much like for you to come with me. You can care for your child and… and I will care for the both of you"

The emotion laced into those words surprised me. He looked at me nervously, almost uncomfortably as he put his offer across.

"I would rather die" I said, my voice monotone. Somewhere inside of me I knew what I was saying wasn't true. A little voice in the back of my mind chuckled at my denial. I ignored it.

Michael looked at me then down at the ground. He wet his lips. He seemed to be holding back anger at my response but yet he did not give up hope. He walked further into the room as he continued on.

"I promise…I will not harm either of you Teyla." He sighed and stopped walking. "You have to believe me." He implored.

"I can not trust the word of a murderer!" I shot back, the uncertainty and disbelief showing in my voice.

Anger, frustration and desperationflashed across his face. "WHY CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND?" He roared at me.

Torren cried out at the noise. I looked away from Michael and hugged Torren closer to my chest, my motherly instinct to protect him from harm.

"I have become what I am out of necessity…the need to survive!"

Anger got the better of me and my face set into a mask of fury as I retorted, "You became what you are out of vengeance!"

"Do you not punish criminals on your world are they NOT brought to justice?" Michael seemed to be in a stage of disbelief. His disappointment and sadness was shining through the cracks in his mask. A brief tingle of compassion and understanding swept through me but I shoved the feeling out of the way. He didn't deserve my compassion. In its place, disbelief filed in. "Is this justice to you? Killing hundreds of thousands of innocent people across this galaxy?"

"They would not be dead, had you not made me subject of your vicious experiment! Their blood is on your hands!" I flinched at his outburst yet I still noticed the desperation showing through more strongly in his voice and on his face.

_-…understand me…-_

I heard his voice in my head as clearly as I was hearing it aloud. My eyes widened slightly but I did not give any other hint that I had heard him. I continued to comfort Torren as his cries filled my ears, encouraging him to go back to sleep. I didn't reply to Michael. I did not know what to say. Anything I said would contradict something else. There really was nothing _to _say.

His eyes were burning into my mine. Desperation, anger, sadness etched out on his face.

_-…please understand me…-_

The voice sounded again. I knew he knew I could hear him. We had established that we had a bond before when he had taken me the first time. Seeing that I wasn't going to response, he took a breath to compose himself, the emotion on his face fading back behind the mask.

"It's your choice. You can come with me and live or remain here and die, either way I'm taking your child." He said emotionlessly. With one last look at me, he turned around and left the room.

I walked back to the chair and sat down, breathing deeply. Michael had never openly shown so much emotion towards me since…well since he found out that he was a Wraith. Something was amidst.

_No it's not._ The little voice in my mind whispered. _It's always been there, you've just never acknowledged it. You're afraid of what you'll find when you do._

I exhaled sharply, silencing the voice. _No! _

Wanting to prove the voice wrong, I thought about the encounters that Michael and I had had recently. I tried to remember if there were any recurring emotions that he displayed around me in our previous encounters when emotion managed to break through his mask.

"_You'll not make it out of here alive. My people will-"_

"_ENOUGH! ENOUGH!" He shouted, quickly advancing towards me, the rage evident on his face._

_Anger_ I thought instantly as the memory faded. _Confusion…no angst. Regret._ I added. I frowned in hopeless confusion. This was getting nowhere. What ever I thought up brought more questions. I groaned and closed my eyes, trying to clear my mind.

Only semi-consciously aware of what I was doing, I glanced towards the control consoles, searching for Michael. My eyes met his. My eyes widened but I could not look away. He held my gaze has he would hold my arm, not letting me go. His facial expressions softened and for a moment there - just a moment - he looked human. He took a step in my direction, his hands slightly raised towards me when suddenly he ducked. The hybrid to his left dropped, stunned.

I gasped as Ronon ran into Michael, starting a fight between the both of them. Clutching Torren tightly to my chest, I half walked half ran out of Mr Woolsey's office, hesitating as I watched Ronon and Michael fight and at the same time wondering if I should do something to help.

"TEYLA! RUN!" Ronon called, doubling his efforts to bring Michael down.

_-…stay…-_

I ignored Michael's mental instruction but taking Ronon's request to heart, I fled from the control room. I felt Michael's anger resonate through our bond but I ignored it instead focusing on getting Torren some place safe so that I could return and try to help Ronon.

"Teyla?" I heard from behind me. I turned around, my mind already planning on how to put Torren down safety so that I could fight. My shoulders sagged in relief when I saw Mr. Woolsey.

"Oh thank goodness. Quick, we need to get back to the control room and help Ronon." I said, grabbing one of his arms and started to pull him in the direction of the control room.

"No it's too dangerous. We need to get some help. Quick, this way." Mr Woolsey said, shrugging my hand off and mimicking the grip with his own hand on my arm. He took off running towards the stairs. He walked down the stairs, beckoning for me to follow when he suddenly groaned and collapsed down the stairs.

I gasped and instantly backed away from the stairs. My head whipped around when I heard someone coming and I hid behind a pillar. One of Michael's hybrids walked to the top of the stairs, obviously attracted by the noise. Seeing Mr Woolsey at the bottom of the stairs he put down his guard and turned around to walk the other way. I took advantage of this by walking up behind him and kicking him, forcing him to lose his balance and fall down the stairs. This time I definitely saw some sort of shielding flare as the hybrid fell through. _Some sort of stunner field _I thought as I turned around and left the scene.

I was just about to run around a corner but I sensed the hybrid just in time. I skittled to an abrupt halt. I heard his heavy foot steps come closer and I knew I had to hide. I looked at the wall behind me.

_I know this place…_ I thought. I ran my hand along the walls, looking for the right one. I found it; the metallic door swinging outwards at my touch and I sighed in relief. With both doors opened fully and the ladder lowered, I climbed up the steps and laid Torren gently on the floor. Quickly I twisted around and hoisted up the ladder, closing the doors silently as I went. I turned around and picked up Torren sitting still as I waited for the danger to pass.

Torren started to softly cry so I started to gently rock him, imitating the movement of walking to quiet him. I heard the footsteps pause. I held my breath, afraid to breathe in case it gave away our position. Slowly the footsteps started walking away.

Now all that was left to do was wait.

*****

_Michael_

"We looked everywhere within the stunner field. We can't find her." One of the hybrids reported.

My nostrils flared and my hybrids cringed, feeling my anger.

"She knows this city well. She's hiding somewhere…SHE'S TOYING WITH ME!" I shouted as I flung one of the Lantean's computers against the wall.

"What are you going to do?" the hybrid asked.

I calmed myself with a long sigh and reached out along my bond with Teyla. I felt that she was tense but patient. I withdrew, deciding that doing this the old fashion way was the way to go.

"Flush her out" I stated.

I turned my attention to the console in front of me. I sighed and then started to key in the sequence to activate the self-destruct device. The loud blaring of the alarm made me flinch but I ignored the minor discomfort and opened up a channel on the city-wide communications, well aware that people outside of the stunner field might hear.

"Teyla I know you can hear me." I paused. "That alarm, if you're not aware is Atlantis' self-destruct device. I've armed it, set for 10 minutes. That is the amount of time you have to consider the offer I'm about to make. If you surrender you and your child to me, I'll disarm the device, sparing the lives of everyone on this base. If not, you, your baby, and everyone else will die."

I reached out along our bond intending to make sure that the message was clear. I growled softly as I was unable to stop the small message that flittered across the bond of its own accord. Granted it was what I wanted to say but I could not show any weaknesses.

Knowing that nothing could be done now, I waited for her response.

*****

_Teyla_

_-…please come to me…-_

I was torn. Desperately torn. I did not want to be responsible for the deaths of the people on this base and I did not want my son to die. The small voice wanted me to go with Michael and was rejoicing at the idea of going with him but I drowned out the voice with my own thoughts. I was sure that John and Rodney were already executing a plan to save me. Besides, I did not trust Michael to turn off the device even if I did go to him.

The hatred for him for what he did to my people was not as strong as it use to be. The bond with Michael made sure of that. Whenever I was around Michael a strong sense of strength and security flowed along the bond at all times, strengthening the bond itself and me. The time I was exposed to him for all those days aboard his ship had strengthened our bond to a point where we hardly needed to talk, knowing what each other was going to say before it was even said. We had reached the point when we were communicating in the most basic form of telepathy all the time; communicating with our emotions. I was surprised when I had come back to Atlantis to discover that the bond did not fade away. It had remained stronger than ever but I shut it out, not allowing Michael to have the access to my mind. I had felt empty without his presence near me. My Wraith DNA had reached out to him, connecting with him when we had first met such was the beginning of our bond. No one else could understand me better than he could.

_And no one can understand _him_better than you could._

I sighed and shook my head. "Now is not time for such thoughts." I whispered to myself. _On the other hand, _I thought, _I need to see what is going on in Michael's head. _

I took a deep breath and then tentatively I reached out along the bond that we shared.

I felt his surprise when he realised that I was in his head. He gently pushed me away, not harshly as I had expected but as he did, I felt a shield come down. What came out from behind that shield as it shut left me reeling.

_-…Teyla…-_

The single word followed by such an onslaught of emotion cause me to cry out, loosing my ground in his mind and returning to my own. Torren, feeling my distress, started to gurgle and babble in a language that only he could understand. I looked down and smiled sadly at him as my heartbeat returned to normal. _What am I to do? _

I jumped somewhat when Michael's voice filtered through the PA system again.

"Time is short Teyla…" he all but whispered. "I don't understand. I would think the choice is an easy one."

I permitted a small, grim smile to grace my face. _You may think that but you're wrong._ I thought.

"If nothing else, consider your child. By remaining in hiding, you are sentencing him to die. What kind of mother would do such a thing? He has a chance to live. Both of you do. Come with me, Teyla. Trust me. I will not harm either of you and I will not harm Atlantis." He paused. "You have my word."

He sounded as if he was close to pleading but I picked up the slight alluring tone in his voice, showing me that he would not sink so low was to plead. I bit my lip. I needed to make a decision sooner or later.

An idea popped into my head. The idea held promise but if he was to do his part, I would be bound by my honour to do my part as well. I took a deep breath and on the exhale I quickly but forcibly said, "Turn off the self-destruct system."

There was a pause. "Teyla?"

He almost sounded happy to hear me.

"You want me to trust you?" I asked, my voice shaking. I cleared my throat before continuing on. "Then show me the mean what you say. Turn off the self-destruct system and I will come with you."

I sent my promise along the bond to make sure he knew I was serious. I felt it hit a wall that he had put up. I sighed, _of course._ I withdrew my contact, having to trust that he would trust me enough to keep my word. His wall weakened slightly, allowing distrust to flood into my mind. I gritted my teeth and sent back my sincerity on the matter. The flow of distrust stopped and was replaced with uncertainty. I sighed and sent assurance. It was almost second nature. I had to send the emotion to him, our bond not being strong enough that it was done automatically.

When there was no response I said out loud, "…Michael can you hear me?" I meant it both in the physical sense and then mental sense as he wasn't responding to me either way.

I heard a quite sigh. "Yes Teyla. I hear you." He paused, the uncertainty from him becoming stronger. "How do I know you'll keep your word?"

My anger flared across the bond at his question. "I have a sense of honour Michael. Do you dare insult me suggesting that I would go back on it?" Dignified pride was his mental response but otherwise no confirmation on his position in the dilemma.

I waited.

*****

_Michael_

I was shaking. The emotional turmoil in me was tearing me apart. I always maintained control over the emotions that came with my human DNA being stronger than that of the Wraith but here…now…with this decision to make I was breaking.

I could not, would not leave without the child. That was my mind taking over. To complete my quest to rid the galaxy of the Wraith I needed the child to perfect my hybrids.

Leaving Teyla to die however was what was causing the turmoil in me. I had come to accept a while ago that Teyla might never look at me kindly again but with our bond strengthening more and more every moment we were together it had given me hope. I could sense the internal battle in her mind about what she thought of me. I did not intrude in her thoughts so I had only skimmed the bare surface of the struggle but it was the emotions that flowed from her that assured me there was a battle. The bond between us was strong. I could reach across thousands of light-years to reach her yet it was near impossible for me to know what she was thinking or feeling unless she allowed me to. The connection between us tempted me, her Wraith DNA calling out to me, desperate for solidity and companionship. It was anathema to a Wraith to be alone. Not in the physical sense but in the emotional one. This bond between us needed to be maintained by _both _sides, giving me hope that she…

_She'll never care for you. You are meaningless to her… _

I snarled and shook my head, removing the thought from my head. I could not afford to think about her in such a manner presently. That battle was reserved for when I was alone, not surrounded by my hybrids or in such proximity to Teyla.

"Sir…?" One of the hybrids asked, snapping me out of my thoughts that I had started to dwell into again.

I shot him a look and imposed my will on him, rendering him silent as I pushed the thoughts away from my mind, focusing on the present. I tilted my head to the side as I looked at the controls. I had yet to reach a decision on what to do but time was running out.

I sighed and slumped my shoulders. _She always could get through to you_a voice whispered. I ignored it. I stood up straight and started the sequence that would turn off the self-destruct. The alarm stopped. Silence filled the air much to the relief of my highly attuned ears.

"You have better have kept your word Teyla. It is time to leave." I couldn't help but let my frustration shine through my voice at not being about to have my revenge upon Atlantis.

I turned to my waiting hybrids. "Ready the puddle jumper. It is time we leave this place." They nodded and headed down to the puddle jumper.

I fingered with a piece of material on my jacket. I could sense nothing from Teyla. For the most part I was frustrated and nervous knowing that she was holding her emotions from me but a small part of me was proud that she was learning to shield her mind from me. Finally, I heard Teyla's footsteps approach and I turned around, struggling to keep an impassive mask.

"You kept your word I see." I said stiffly, not allowing myself to sound any different.

She gave me a short nod but I noticed that her jaw was clenched shut tightly. She shifted her weight to her other foot as she moved her child into a more comfortable position in her arms. I silently made a note to ask her what the child's name was considering she hadn't told me early.

She allowed me to feel the entanglement of emotions running through her. Anger, frustration, reluctance, annoyance and acceptance just to name a few. "I am bound by my honour to go with you, as I promised." She replied curtly.

She was only here because of her word. Of course I had known that but I couldn't help but feel faintly disappointed. I could tell she had felt my disappointment by a slight twitch of her eyebrow.

I held out my arm to guide her to the puddle jumper. "This way."

She walked briskly to the puddle jumper, walking just fast enough to miss my arm when it went to rest on her lower back. I grimaced at her behaviour towards me but I acknowledged the fact that it might be how she acted towards me for a while until she realised she belonged with me. As I walked out of the control room, I saw a flash of white out of the corner of my eye. I turned my around so that I could identify the object and discovered that it was a piece of paper, neatly folded lying on the ground near the consol. I frowned, briefly wondering what it was doing there before dismissing the offending object and continued to walk out of the control room and down the stairs to the waiting Puddle Jumper.

_-collapse the stun field around the tower when we're inside-_

I ordered the hybrid in the puddle jumper. Just as I walked around the puddle jumper I saw Ronon unconscious on the stairs. I growled.

_If I can not destroy Atlantis then maybe I can take away one of their best warriors._ I thought savagely. I unsheathed my knife and bent down to Ronon's throat.

_*MICHAEL!*_

I glanced up just in time to see the gate being dialled. _No…_ I thought as I made towards the gate. My emotional shield went down as panic overwhelmed me. For a just a brief moment Teyla felt everything I was feeling as it should have been if I wasn't hiding my emotions from her. Concern, panic, fondness and angst.

I took a step back as the surge of unstable matter coursed out of the Stargate and destroyed the back half of the puddle jumper. The gate quickly disengaged. As I struggled to erect my mental shield again, I realised who was responsible for this disaster. "Sheppard," I growled. Pushing plans of revenge to the back of my mind, I ran to the puddle jumper, my consciousness already searching for Teyla.

Horror swept through me when I saw Teyla on the floor in the front compartment of the Puddle Jumper. She was laying face down on the floor of the Jumper with her back exposed, the skin bloody and blistering. I looked up at the hybrid Asik who was next to Teyla. He remained unharmed and was holding the child securely in his arms.

_-what happened?!-_

I did not look at Asik for his response but instead tended to Teyla. Apart from her back, it appeared that nothing else was injured. I frowned and reassessed her condition again. There was no head injury indicating that she should be unconscious.

_//sir, you released a mental burst. I believe that Teyla got the brunt of it. She looked as if she was about to collapse so I took the boy from her. The edges of the unstable vortex caught her and she collapsed//_

I looked up at the Asik. I stared at him in the eyes until he looked away. I slowly turned my head back to Teyla. Reaching out to her mentally, I saw that what Asik had said was correct. By collapsing my emotional shield, I had injured Teyla.

_If it weren't for you she would be ok but because of you she was nearly killed. You do not deserve her… _

I managed to quell my anger at the voice, I needed to help Teyla. Still, I could not help but think the voice was right. It _was _my fault. If I hadn't lost control…

_Stop! Concentrate!_ I thought harshly.

I bent down and gently picked her up, cradling her in my arms. I winced as I felt her pain as my own. I tried to walk as smoothly as I possibly could out of the jumper to avoid irritating her wounds but unfortunately with in a couple of seconds I could feel the wetness on my hands as her wounds bled. Concern swept through me. I needed to get her out of here.

_-dial the gate-_

I ordered Asik. He nodded and started dialling. I stood next to the Jumper and waited for a wormhole to be established. Teyla stirred in my arms and her pain assaulted me. It was nothing I couldn't handle but I was concerned for her wellbeing so letting my assurance and strength flow to her, causing her head to roll back as she fell asleep at the pressure from my mind. I smiled and hugged her more securely against my chest. Feeling another twinge of pain from her, my smile disappeared and I looked towards the Stargate again.

Once the wormhole had been stabilised, I walked forward to it briskly, needing to get Teyla to my Cruiser as soon as possible so that I could begin to heal her.

Just as I reached the event horizon, I heard footsteps and then Colonel Sheppard's voice shout out to Teyla.

"TEYLA!" Desperation filled his voice.

I turned around and gave Sheppard a small, but triumphant smile.

Sheppard took one look at the bleeding Teyla who was asleep in my arms and then raised his gun at me. "What the hell did you do to her?!" He demanded

My eyes blazed in fury. I snarled at him. _How dare Sheppard suggest I had or would do __anything__ to harm Teyla?_ "You think _I _did this to her? She is in more danger around _you _than me! You don't deserve her! You put her in danger over and over again, risking her life for your own! You have used her, abused her, just as you did with me!"

Sheppard fury at my accusation nearly challenged my own. "Excuse me? I'm pretty sure you've got this around the wrong way Mikey. I would never do anything to harm Teyla and I would certainly not put her life before mine! Now, put her down on the ground slowly and back away from her so that I can kill you!" He demanded.

I clenched my teeth. _A rival. _If it were not for the fact that Teyla was in desperate need of medical attention, I would have killed Sheppard where he stood.

"I don't think so _John Sheppard._" I spat his name out as if it were poison. I sensed Asik still near the dialling device in the Jumper. While Sheppard's attention was focused on me, Asik might just be able to stun him with out risking the child's life. I wanted the pleasure of killing Sheppard for myself but now was not the time to indulge in this wish. I sent Asik my demand.

I tilted my head to one side as I continued to glare at Sheppard. "How does it feel, to know she has chosen me over you?" I said. I saw the confusion on Sheppard's face, the emotion temporarily disarming his focus as was my intention. A blue bolt of energy shot out from the end of the mangled Jumper, hitting Sheppard in the chest. He groaned and fell to the ground unconscious.

I looked at Sheppard with distain as Asik approached me. I looked at the bundle that he carried wrapped in a light blue blanket in his arms. Seeing that the child was safe, I stepped through the gate.

Arriving on the other side of the gate I commanded a waiting hybrid to shut it down as soon as Asik was through.

I looked down at Teyla and my expression became concerned again. Her face was pale from the loss of blood and the front of my jacket was drenched with it. I hugged her closer to me and sped up my steps to get to the Cruiser, snarling as a hybrid came to take her off of me.

"No! I will take her!"

The hybrid backed away and put his head down. I walked past him carrying my treasure towards the ship.

_-ready my quarters. We'll need to have space for Teyla to rest so that she can heal-_

*****

_John_

I woke up with a groan. I was lying on one of the beds in the infirmary. My chest felt like someone had punched me. I groaned again and sat up, blinking a few times as I tried to remember what had happened.

_Teyla!_

I jumped out of the infirmary bed and nearly ran into Doctor Keller. "Colonel Sheppard! Hang on there! You've just been stunned by a Wraith stunner. You need to lie down and rest not go running around Atlantis!"

I ignored her question and instead grabbed her by the shoulders. "Where is Teyla? Is she ok?" I asked her, completely aware that my voice did sound a bit on the crazy side.

Dr. Keller shifted around uncomfortably, avoiding my gaze. I shook her not so gently, asking again, "Where is Teyla!?"

Dr. Keller sighed and lifted up a hand to rest it on my arm in comfort. "When we got to the gate room, only you and Ronon were there and you were both unconscious. Michael and the remaining hybrids had escaped through the gate, presumably taking Teyla and Torren with them." Dr. Keller hesitated, seemly unsure if she should continue. I shook her again, indicating that she should indeed continue.

"There…there was a lot of blood on the floor. It was…" her voice broke and she took a breath to compose herself so that she could go on. "It was Teyla's blood. Judging by the amount on the floor, if she doesn't get a transfusion…"

I stared at Dr. Keller, my breath caught in my throat. I released her and stumbled backwards, collapsing on the bed. I sat there on the bed in a dazed shock. _It hadn't looked that bad… _I thought but I remembered the blood that was dripping on the floor from Teyla's limp body. At the time I refused to believe that it was anything too serious but after was Keller said I wasn't so sure.

I growled. _Michael injured Teyla! _It was the only plausible reason for the severity of Teyla's injury. _You never saw the injury…_

The voice in my head reminded me of this fact. I started to chew on the inside of my lip. Suddenly remembering that Keller was waiting for me to speak, I decided to ask her about Ronon and his participation in Michael's invasion. "Ronon was in the gate room?" I asked, still staring off into space.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw her nod. "Yes, he has a concussion but he'll be fine."

I nodded mutely. "Is he awake?"

"Yes. He's not the best patient that I've ever had though. He's been grumbling and complaining ever since he woke up."

I tried to smile but it turned out as a grimace. "Where is he?"

Keller pointed to a curtain across the room and then left, having been summoned by some other medical personal.

I stood up and approached Ronon's bed. He was staring across at the opposite wall in anger. I stared at him for a moment before sighing and turning away.

"Michael took her through the gate, didn't he?" Ronon asked suddenly, making me spin around and face him again.

I nodded sullenly, my face set in a scowl.

Ronon let out a growl of anger. "I'll kill him for this."

I let out a humourless laugh. "Get in line buddy" I said as Doctor Keller arrived to check up on Ronon. She shooed me out of the infirmary with orders to rest in my quarters, knowing that I wouldn't rest here.

I left the infirmary as requested but instead of going to my quarters I went to the gate room. Seeing the small puddle of blood at the front of the mangled Jumper made my anger flare up, the Jumper's presence reminding me of my failure to save Teyla. I turned around and punched the nearest thing to me - which happened to be the Stargate - to vent my anger. I hissed in pain when I heard the crack of a bone breaking, part of me groaning at the fact that Dr. Keller was going to be absolutely livid when she saw that I had injured myself just moments after being discharged from the infirmary.

"Dammit Michael!" I muttered as I leant on the gate, cradling my hand.

A marine approached me around about the time I started my string of unmentionable name-calling on Michael. "Sir, we found a message for you in the control room. It was lying on the ground near the communications station." He said, holding out the folded piece of paper.

I frowned, grabbing the piece of paper from the soldier with my good hand. "Have you read this?" I asked, opening up the message.

The marine shook his head. "No one has sir." The marine saluted me and then left. I looked down at the note and quickly read through it. Once I had I was grateful that no one else had read it. I scrunched it up and pocketed the note, the message replaying through my mind as I did so.

_Dear John,_

_I need to go with Michael. I cannot let myself be the cause of the death of everyone on Atlantis. You do not need fear my safety for I deem that he'll keep his word and not harm me or Torren. Believe me, I would not have chosen this course if Michael had not kept his word about turning off the self-destruct, forcing me to keep my end of the deal. _

_Looking forward to when I next see you,_

_Teyla_

I snorted and muttered under my breath, "I don't care what you think about your honour Teyla but I'm coming to get you and by God when I do I will kill Michael for taking you away from us."

I then turned tail out of the gate room, ordering the nearest marine to remove the destroyed Jumper from the room and then heading off towards the infirmary, bracing myself for a firm lecture from Dr. Keller.

*****

**Much happier with the renovations for this chapter. :D**

**Note that most of what is said is straight from the episode 'The Prodigal' I have changed some of it to suit the needs of the story.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**EP**


	2. Chapter 2: Dreams

**Disclaimer:****I do not own anything to do with Stargate Atlantis. All rights belong to MGM studios. All I own is the plot but I might not even own that, other people being very creative nowadays.**

**Decisions**

**Chapter 2: Dreams**

_Teyla_

Torren was crying. I groaned and moved to pick him up when a searing pain shot up through my back. I gasped in pain as I tried to roll over onto my back just to have the pain intensify. I fell back onto my stomach, tears threatening to escape from my eyes.

Realising I needed to get up and comfort Torren, I took several deep breaths, bracing myself for any pain as I got up. It was at this time I realised that something was out of place.

It was cold.

The bed I was on felt different to that of my normal bed

I could feel the slight vibration of an engine.

My Wraith sense was tingling.

I could feel the subconscious of a Wraith ship.

I froze at the last 2 thoughts. My eyes finally opened. At first I could see nothing but as my eyes slowly adjusted I felt myself breakout in a cold sweat for in front of me was a wall of a Wraith Ship.

Ignoring the pain in my back, I scooted away from the wall, nearly falling off the bed as I did so but at the last second a pair of hands softly stopped me from moving back any further. I let out a scream as the pain on my back flared up to unimaginable heights.

Then, as suddenly as the pain came, it was gone. Winded, I turned around to see who had caught me as well as to see the reason the pain had disappeared and more importantly, the cause of it.

I saw the face of the individual just as they released me and stumbled away, a look of utter pain on their face.

"Michael?" I asked in shock, his name coming out in a strangled gasp.

Thinking that the pain I had felt might have been his, I looked to see if he was alright. When I did so, Michael gasped like the action caused him more pain. The fleeting thought of escape came to mind but I dismissed it knowing that escape, even from this room, would be more difficult than I would give it credit for.

Determined to help Michael, I jumped out of the bed, nearly tripping on the shapeless dress I was wearing in my haste and in a few steps I was at his side. I crouched down next to him and was just about to ask him what was causing him so much pain when I felt a trickle of liquid start to run down my leg. Frowning, I turned around and ran my hand over where the trail of liquid was. I heard Michael inhale sharply at my movement and my confusion deepened. _I did not touch him…_

Fear crept through me and I hesitantly brought my wet fingers to my nose and sniffed. A coppery-metallic odour was given off by the liquid.

My eyes widened and my hand flew back to the trial of liquid and followed it back to the source. My hand slid up my leg and when it reached my back, my fear became a reality. The rough feeling of scabs mixed with the slipperiness of my blood made me tremble. I let my hand fall away from my back as I stared at Michael in horror. He was blocking my pain from me.

_But why would he do that? _I thought. My question was answered when he spoke in a strangled voice, "A…attend…to…the child." Recognising that Torren was still crying, I slowly stood up and approached the crib he was lying in.

As soon as I picked Torren up he settled down, cooing quietly. I smiled at him and hugged him close to me, grateful that he was unharmed. I rocked him side to side gently, lulling him to sleep before lying him back down in the crib. I felt several more scabs break open as I bent down; reminding me of the burden Michael was currently carrying for me. My back was slick with blood, causing my shapeless dress to stick to me. I was starting to feel a bit dizzy but not feeling the pain unnerved me enough to take some action. I sat down on the bed as a precaution before reaching out to Michael.

With my mind, I assaulted the wall that was holding back my pain from me. I had finished attending to Torren so Michael should have no qualms with releasing the pain back to me. With only a bit of prodding, the wall shattered.

_-NO! Teyla!-_

The pain that assaulted me this time was 10 times worse than it had been previously. The sheer force of it knocked me backwards onto my back, intensifying the pain if that was even possible. I was somewhat aware that Michael was at my side, rolling me onto my stomach while ripping at the fabric to expose my back to him. Other footsteps entered the room and I felt 2 pairs of hand hold me still; 1 pair on each arm.

I barely registered the sharp prick in the side of my neck to indicate a needle. An icy coolness spread outwards from my neck to the rest of my body, eliminating the pain in its path. I started to twitch periodically but the pain did not return. Another needle - this time followed by a dull prick - was inserted into my flailing arms but was not followed by the icy cool feeling like the first one. The hands released my arms and I heard the footsteps leave the room, leaving Michael the only one to remain. A cool wetness touched my back and began to clean the wounds with extreme tenderness as if in fear just the slightest pressure would worsen the wounds.

"What- what happened?" I asked him as he continued to bathe my wounds.

"You were injured when Sheppard dialled the gate to destroy my hold over the city. The edge of the unstable matter skimmed your back. Asik was able to take your child from you before you fell."

"T-Torren." I gasped, still convulsing occasionally.

He stilled his movements for a second as a wave of thankfulness brushed over me. He then continued on. "You were bad injured, the vortex nearly removing all of the skin from your back. Thankfully, you did not need skin graphs and the damage did not exceed past your skin but you lost a lot of blood and I had to give you several transfusions. It was…delicate work. Your wound – despite my efforts became infected and you were in and out of conscious for a few days while your body fought off the infection. Your fever broke just a few hours ago." He said quietly.

"If-if I was out for a-a couple of days, wh-who fed Torren?" I asked.

"One of the humans here was his wet nurse I believe you call them. Let me assure you that he was properly taken care of." He told me.

Once he finished cleaning my wounds, he stared to smear a paste over my back with his hands, gently rubbing it into my wounds. I flinch a bit as a twinge of pain shot through me, breaking through the drug barrier, but otherwise I felt no other discomforts.

"Who-whose blood, was I-I given?" I asked curiously.

Michael's ministrations pause briefly and I could also hear the hesitation in his voice as he said, "It does not matter. All that matters is that you are safe and healing.

I sighed shakily, knowing I would not be able to get anymore information out of him. "Th-thank you…Mi-Mic-chael." I said, my convulsions getting worse.

I felt warmth flow throughout me. I identified it as pleasure but I could not be sure. I was certain that Michael had not intended me to feel it but rather he did not realise that he had sent it to me.

"Wh-what a-a-are y-you pu-putting on my b-back?" I asked, struggling to speak clearly.

"It is a concoction of various plants from a planet that is close to a dying sun. Some how there are plants surviving on the planet and these plants have beneficial qualities when dealing with burns. It needs to be applied every 6 hours."

"H-h-have you lef-t-t my ssss-ide since I g-got here Mic-c-chael?" I enquired, thinking that I didn't have much to lose by asking and I was curious to what his answer would be.

Faltering, Michael finally answered, "No." He did not offer anymore information on the subject and my seizers were becoming so bad that I did not want to risk talking lest I bit my tongue. I sent him my curiosity. He did not reply with an answer, but rather a different instruction.

_-...sleep...-_

"The injection I gave you will take away the pain but the side effect is the convulsions you are currently experiencing. I will have to give you the anti-serum before the convulsions get out of hand but I think you would prefer it if you were asleep. You will be unable to do so once I give you the anti-serum for the pain will return." Michael advised as he finished rubbing the paste on my back.

I tried to nod but was seized by another convulsion, this one bigger than its predecessors. Instead I sent acceptance and permission to him before closing my eyes, letting the soothing balm of Michael's consciousness settle over me.

_-…sleep…I will protect you…- _

I was not awake to see Michael move the pillows and place them under my head or softly stroke my hair before he left the room to retrieve the anti-serum, rubbing the weariness out of his eyes as he did so.

*****

_I dreamt…_

_Michael runs out to a small balcony surrounding the top of the control tower. He sees no way out except the door he'd just come through. Michael leans into the shadows as John appears in the doorway, his P-90 ready to fire. Michael ambushes him and takes away his gun, knocking him off the walkway. _

_John struggles, falling to a lower awning and grabs hold of a buttress before falling further. He struggles as he pulls himself back up to the lower awning. Michael jumps down to join him. They exchange blows. Michael gains the upper hand and knocks John on his back where Michael tries to choke him. John grabs Michael's wounded shoulder, making Michael lose his grip and gasp in pain. John throws Michael but he again gains his balance and gets the upper hand. He knocks John against the metal buttress, stunning him and knocks him against the tower in a semi-consciousness fugue. _

_I join the battle, catching Michael by surprise. I manage to land several blows, and John was able to strike back once as well. Our combined attack knock Michael off the awning, but he was able to grab hold of the edge with both hands. _

_I look down at Michael, studying him coldly for several moments. I kick one of Michael's hands, making him lose his grip. _

"_Argh! Teyla!" He calls to me desperately._

_John stares at me in surprise but does nothing as Michael continues to hang off the edge by one hand. I stare coldly down at Michael for several more moments before kicking his other hand. I do not feel any guilt as Michael falls into the depths of the city to his death, only great relief. I watch him for a long time as John sits behind me, stunned at my actions._

*****

I gasped as I opened my eyes, the images of the dream still vivid in my mind. I was in shock about my actions in the dream. _I could I be so cruel?_ I asked myself, still panting heavily.

I lifted up my arms and rubbed my eyes to rid them of any remaining sleep. Almost subconsciously, I reached out with my mind to Michael's. Sensing that he was asleep, I did not intrude any further. I had seen what he looked like when I had woken up before. He looked awful, big bags underneath his eyes; he needed his rest.

I gently lifted myself up onto my forearms, flinching with even such a small actions caused tremors of pain to vibrate through me. Knowing I wasn't good with keeping my pain to myself, I shielded my mind against Michael so that he would not feel my pain and wake up. I slowly turned my head to my right and was relieved when I saw the crib right next to the bed, within easy reaching distance even with my injury.

Trying not to aggravate my wounds too much, I slid myself closer to the edge of the bed so that I was right up against the cot. By gradually using one arm to lift myself up, I was able to use the other arm to quickly scoop Torren out of his cot and onto my bed. I hissed in pain at the sudden movement but my concern was for Torren. I was glad to know that Torren had not awakened in the brief exchange and I brought him closer to me, drawing comfort from his soothing presence.

I laid on the bed for a while, unable to do anything else because of my injury. I felt vulnerable. I was on a Wraith Cruiser and if the time came that I needed to defend myself I would be unable to do so. I was completely at Michael's mercy; not how I intended to be when I made the deal with him. Then again, I didn't expect him to keep his end of the bargain in the first place.

My stomach rumbled in hunger. I grimaced. From my limited line of sight I could see nothing that resembled food, just a chair and a cupboard – the cupboard having a bottle of lotion on it as well as bottle of what could be water.

I licked my dry lips at the thought of water. It was worth the risk to see if the bottle contained water or not than put up with my parched throat. I shifted my gaze down to Torren and swallowed. I needed to get a drink and preferably some food. Wanting to be independent and not call Michael, I gently lifted Torren back into his crib with out too much difficulty. Once he was in, I collapsed back down onto my stomach, the little energy I had left spent. I gritted my teeth as I stared at the water.

_I can do this _I told myself as I braced myself to get up again. I managed to move one leg off of the side of the bed and was hovering half way off the bed when I heard the door open. Seeing as I was concentrating so hard on getting up that it didn't fully hit me until I felt a firm hand on my shoulder.

"What are you doing? You should be resting Teyla. If you move around too much you will tear open your wounds again." Michael said, pushing me down. My arms collapsed and I fell nearly fell off the bed. Michael was there to catch me and I had no choice but to let him.

"Are you trying to hurt yourself more Teyla?" Michael asked exasperatedly as he pushed me back on to the bed.

I scrunched up my nose as pain flowed through me. I clamped down on my mind to prevent Michael from knowing. With great difficulty, I managed to isolate the feeling of overwhelming hunger and thirst from the pain and push it at him. It was a weak attempt but I believed that Michael had got the gist of what I was trying to do.

My request was answered by a quiet chuckle and then Michael's hold on my shoulder was gone as he stood up to retrieve the water. He brought it back to me and placed his hand on my shoulder again as I moved to try and get up again.

He bent down beside me so that he was in my line of site. "Here, drink." He said, tilting my head up slightly so he could poor some water into my open mouth. I drank greedily but I soon realised that I could taste something different in the water. I spat out the water.

"What did you put in it? Poison?" I asked maliciously. I spat again in disrespect, careful to not get Michael in the face this time. I was not that far gone to think that Michael would not backhand me for doing such an act a second time.

Michael brought up a hand to wipe his face of the droplets of water. I could see his temper rise when his breathing quickened and his jaw tightened. He suddenly stood up and walked over to the other side of the room, anger and frustration streaming off of him in waves. His hands were coiled into fists at his sides as if he wanted to reach up to his head and pull his hair out in sheer frustration.

He turned around and faced me, the look of rage and desperation clearly showing on his face as he threw his hands down. "WHY WON'T YOU TRUST ME?" He beseeched desperately.

He took a step towards me and then back again, unsure if he should approach me or not. I scrambled back at his outburst, splitting open my wounds as I pressed myself up against the wall. I swooned at the sudden pain but Michael wasn't paying attention to me; he was too busy pacing around the room in his fury.

"I have promised that I will not harm you or your child! Have I not kept my promise? I healed you when you were hurt and made sure that your child was cared for! Is that not enough? Why must you always fight me Teyla?" He had approached me now, sitting on the bed and grasping my face between his hands, forcing me to look directly into his eyes and nowhere else.

I could not answer him. I had no answer to give. All I could do was stare back, conveying my pain through my eyes. I saw the small change in his eyes as the anger melted away and was replaced with worry. I felt him push at my mind and I couldn't help but release all my pain from behind my walls.

I stiffened as he rested his forehead against mine, his hands still resting on my cheeks. The gesture was horribly similar to the Athosian greeting and dismissal. I didn't dare breathe. He was so close. In all the time I had known him, Michael had never touched me in such an intimate way as he was doing now.

He sighed, his breath washing over me. He pressed his forehead harder onto mine and screwed up his eyes in concentration. I gasped and my back arched from the shock of the blinding energy that flooded into me, briefly pushing me against all of Michael.

I fell back away as the assault began. Images flashed across my mind too quick for comprehension. Fleeting emotions accompanied them overloaded my senses and drained my strength. Just at the thought, strength coursed through me, the feeling like the sun on a hot summer's day. With the strength came the bonding. I could feel Michael's presence warping around me tighter, nearly merging into me. Instinctively, I fought against it but if anything, fighting it just made it worse.

My hands reached blindly in front of me, clawing at Michael's chest until I finally clasped onto the thin material of his shirt. The feel of soft cotton grounded me from the change that was occurring with in me. I was panting heavily and I could feel the sweat trickle down my face and body, mixing with the blood on my back.

I could feel Michael shaking with the effort of widening our bond to compassing so much more than simple feelings and words. All shields fell down on both sides as our minds clashed against each other. All of a sudden a sharp, stabbing pain filled my head and I cried out.

Then, every thing went black.

*****

_Michael_

I released Teyla's face and gently lowered her so that she was lying back down. I stood up, bracing my exhausted body on the chair next to the bed. I needed to rest. What I had done had taken a lot of energy, even in Teyla's weakened state. I probably should have waited until she would be a willing participate instead of doing it against her will.

I sighed. _No _I thought _what I did could not wait. _

I turned my head to stare out the window; the bluish tunnel of hyperspace rushing passed, emitting a strange beauty that entranced me. Nevertheless, I turned away from the scene and I picked up my jacket, shrugging it on. With one more look at Teyla, I left the room and headed out the door, mentally ordering a hybrid to stand guard and one more to fetch some food for Teyla when she woke.

I walked to the bridge, having matters to attend to before I let my exhausted body rest. Approaching the bridge, I braced myself before I walked through the doors, needing to appear invincible to the hybrids on the other side. Appearing weak is not the sign of good leadership and I didn't to have my leadership challenged; not at such a crucial stage.

I drew near the consol and closed my eyes, interfacing my mind with it. The Wraith conscious soothed my mind, the reminder of what I used to be clear in my mind. Things were so much easier back then, none of this hiding; none of this kill or be killed scenarios.

The ship informed me it would soon reach the stage where it will need to exit hyperspace to heal. I was alarmed at how much time had passed. I mentally berated myself for spending too much time away from the bridge as I dropped the Cruiser out of hyperspace immediately.

"We've come out near the Sion Nebula." Asik said. It was not necessary that he say it out loud but he must have been trying to get my attention otherwise he would not have done so.

I opened my eyes and looked out the observation window. I sighed at the beauty of the nebula. The science of how nebulas are caused came to mind and I scowled, the thought ruining the beauty of the natural wonder. Turning my attention back to the ship, I noted that the hull regeneration was going well. I disconnected from the neural interface and walked out of the bridge, leaving a mental command to head to the designated coordinates as soon as the ship could safely jump back into hyperspace. Heading to my quarters, I dissuaded and hybrids from approaching me, wanting to be alone.

Entering my quarters, I sighed in relief, letting most of my guard shields down and finally relaxed. I removed the harsh leather from my body, leaving me in a soft cotton shirt and pants. I fell into my bed and was asleep instantly.

*****

_I dreamt…_

_Teyla joins the battle, catching me by surprise. She manages to land several blows to my body, and Sheppard was able to strike back once as well. Their combined attacks knock me off the awning, but I was able to grab hold of the edge with both hands. _

_Teyla looks down at me, studying me coldly for several moments. She kicks one of my hands, making me lose my grip. _

"_Ah! Teyla!" I call to her desperately._

_She continues to stare coldly down at me for several more moments before she kicks my other hand. I drop like a rock into the depths of the city, the rush of air around me. I wave my arms around me frantically trying to slow my descent but ultimately failing. I see Teyla's face get smaller and smaller until I could not see it at all. I turn my head slightly and see a platform beneath me. A tear leaves my eye and one word escapes from my lips as my body crushes into the unforgiving metal._

"…_Teyla…"_

*****

My eyes snapped open as I felt my conscious drop down into my body again. I blinked. I sat up slowly, putting my hand up to my eyes, rubbing away the sleep from them. I tossed the quilt away and swung my legs over the side of the bed. I took a deep breath and then stood up from the confines of my bed.

I reached out to Teyla to see how she was when I was suddenly overwhelmed with a ravenous hunger. I gasped at the sudden feeling, not comprehending where the hunger had come from at all. Then the answer came to me.

Teyla.

Of course I tried to block out her feelings but was met with little success. The altering I had done seemed to have several down sides. Growling with frustration at the unexpected development, I quickly dressed and headed to Teyla's quarters, hoping to undo what I had done.

As I approached her quarters, I jerked my head to the side to indicate to the hybrid that he should leave. The hybrid nodded and left. I wasted no time and opened the door. I marched over to the bed. Confusion crept over me when saw Teyla's sleeping form. Had I not felt Teyla's hunger? Had she not been awake?

I heard a quiet gurgling sound and I looked around for the source. It was Teyla's child, Torren. He let out a loud piecing cry of distress. Cringing, I moved towards his cot and stared down at him.

Torren caught sight of me and stared back, his face scrunched up as if he was about to cry. Not wanting Teyla to be woken before it was necessary, I gently picked him up from underneath the arms and held him an arms length away from me, unsure at what to do next. I was amazed that I could feel Torren's emotions at all. It was not him whom I had a bond with but with his mother…

'_Every mother has a connection to her child Michael'. _

I remembered the words that Teyla had said to me long ago when I had first captured her.My mind raced through the possibilities and challenges this opened up.

Curious, I prompted Teyla awake to see what the effect would have on what I was feeling from Torren. Teyla stirred but did not wake. I frowned and pressed harder against her mind. She gasped and woke up, her eyes snapping open and her head turning to me. It was almost instantaneous. As soon as his mother woke, Torren's emotions vanished from my mind. I tilted my head to the side as I observed Teyla and Torren, my eyes flickering between the both of them.

_Interesting…_

Teyla's body stiffened when she saw me holding Torren. Her gaze locked with mine and I could almost see the flames of fury fill her eyes. I grimaced as her fury became mine. My grip on Torren unintentionally tightened, causing Torren to cry out. In a flash Teyla leapt up and snatched Torren from my hands before retreating back as far as she could on the bed, her eyes never leaving mine.

Her pain mixed with her anger. I frowned and concern flooded through me. I watched in surprise as Teyla's face changed, her look now of concern rather than anger. _Interesting _I thought again.

I walked nearer to Teyla, eventually stopping next to the bed. "Delightful isn't it? How you want to be angry at me but you just can't? Emotions can be…useful instruments."

I could feel her fighting me, trying to rid her mind of me. Like me, she would not succeed. I sat down on the bed, leaning towards her with a smirk on my face. "It's almost like controlling a person. If you can control their emotions you can control their reactions and in turn, the way they act around certain people."

I moved closer to her, stopping about a foot away from her. I observed her face. She was beautiful. There was no doubt about that. Her golden brown skin and hair showed her Athosian heritage. Her strong jaw made her face seem hard and warrior-like. Finely arched eyebrows were above her dark brown eyes which glowed with defiance. Her high cheekbones were slightly red against the rest of her face but it only added to her beauty. The veins at her temples throbbed in an effort to close her emotions away from me.

The smirk faded and I looked at her curiously. "Why are you fighting it? It is a great feat to have achieved such a bond! Are you not grateful to be a part of it?" I asked, sadness tinting my voice.

I released her from my mental grasp and she lurched slightly at the sudden abandonment. She inhaled deeply and rocked backwards to lean against the wall, covering me in another wave of pain. She seemed to ignore it.

_So _I thought, _I can stop her from feeling my emotions but she can't stop me from feeling hers. _This was going to be a problem.

_She needs training. _

I considered the thought. Teaching her how to block her mind from me would be an unwanted advantage to her. I did not need to be hindered anymore in my plans than I already was. No. I would not teach her what she needs to know to be able to block her mind from me.

Recovering, Teyla looked up at me and spat, "Stay away from my son!"

I growled at her. _Why will she still not trust me?_ "I was not hurting him Teyla! Nor am I going to! Why can you not believe me when I say I will not harm him?"

She glared at me clenching her jaw but otherwise did not say anything.

My hands twitched. I needed to fight something, use something to take out all of my pent up emotions on.

I sighed and moved away from Teyla. I turned my back to her and sat on the side of the bed. I looked at the wall and said to her, "I had hoped…" I trailed off, not being able to say what I craved to. I stood up and walked to the door, opening it with a wave of my hand. I paused in the door way and for once, I opened up my heart and for once I let all of my emotions flow through me into Teyla.

Her gasp was all the confirmation I needed as I left the room.

*****

_John_

_Michael had Teyla and Torren_. This thought going through my head for the better part of a week now. Everything I did and everything I saw reminded me of this fact. Senior staff meetings, the infirmary, my team, the Stargate, the Puddle Jumpers; hell, even the city of Atlantis was a reminder of what has transpired.

I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. Everyone was angry about Michael taking Teyla and Torren although Kanaan took it worst than anyone else. Well, everyone except me. I had withdrawn myself from everyone. My failure to save Teyla from Michael had hit me hard.

Seeing Teyla in Michael's arms...so helpless...made me quiver with rage. I should have done something! I should have taken the risk and shot Michael when I had the chance ending his threat over Teyla and Torren once and for all. Michael may have dropped her and Torren when-. I frowned. _I don't recall Teyla holding Torren when Michael was carrying her… _I thought. Realisation dawned on me. _The other hybrid. The other hybrid had Torren. _

I rolled my eyes. _Of course it did. _New scenarios of how I could have saved Torren ran through my head, making me feel guiltier if it was at all possible.

_I could have walked towards the Jumper and shot the hybrid…Michael wouldn't have been able to stop me…_

I gritted my teeth and tried to stop thinking about what had happened. What was done was done. It was in the past. I needed to think of the future and that future was getting Teyla and Torren back from Michael.

I sighed again. But I couldn't _go_ anywhere to gather information about Teyla because of my broken hand. Jennifer was shocked when she saw the bloody knuckles. She said I was lucky that the break was a clean one considering the surface of the object I had punched in my anger.

"Sheppard! Wait up!" Rodney called out from somewhere behind me. I rolled my eyes but kept walking, pretending that I couldn't hear him. I was currently doing laps around Atlantis, trying to clear my head. As a bonus, since Atlantis was so big, I could easily avoid people and knowing Atlantis like the back of my hand, I could choose not to be around people unless I had to be.

I heard the uneven steps and knew Rodney was running to catch up. I resisted the urge to turn around and catch Rodney running. I smirked at the thought.

"Sheppard!" Rodney said again as he grabbed my arm and swung me around to face him, forcing me to stop walking.

"What?" I said, irritated.

Rodney seemed a bit taken back but continued on anyway. "Well I just...I just wanted to see how you're going."

I stared at him for a second and then started walking again but at an even faster pace.

"I'm fine."

I saw Rodney following me out of the corner of my eye. "Well you don't look fine." He stated.

I rolled my eyes. "Really? What makes you think that?" I said sarcastically. I wasn't in a good mood.

Rodney shrugged and continued to follow my fast pace. "I have some information on where Michael took Teyla." He said as indifferently as he could.

I stopped and grabbed both of Rodney's shoulders, making me face me. "What! Where is she?!" I asked frantically, shaking Rodney when he didn't respond instantly.

"Well I don't know exactly. The Jumper was pretty damaged-" he started.

"But you'll be able to find out right?" I then thought about what he first said. "You've already got the information haven't you?"

"Well yes and no. It's complicated with all the missing bits of data and the interface isn't working and-" He stuttered.

I shook him again. "Spit it out McKay."

"We found several addresses in the computer that were complete but we have no way of telling if they were the one that he used to dial the gate." He said rather quickly.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Well find a way!" I glared at him for a moment and when he didn't move I jerked my head to the right and said "well go on! Get going!"

"Ah yes..." Rodney said and walked away at a pace that was just below jogging. I shook my head. I needed to fight something to get my mind off of Teyla but with my broken hand I couldn't risk injuring myself further.

I stopped walking and twirled around. "Flying will help. Flying solves everything..." I muttered to myself as I broke into a run towards the Jumper Bay.

*****

**Wow! That has really differed from the old chapter two. Teyla's injured! I admit that Sheppard's part is practically the same but hey! It's mainly about Teyla and Michael… Hehe! Kudos for anyone who can guess EXACTLY what Michael did to Teyla and why.**

**Review!**

**EP**


	3. Chapter 3: Butting Heads

**Disclaimer:****I do not own anything to do with Stargate Atlantis. All rights belong to MGM studios. All I own is the plot but I might not even own that, other people being very creative nowadays.**

**Decisions**

**Chapter 3: Butting Heads**

_John_

_The only bad thing about Jumpers was that fact that no matter how fast you are going, it doesn't _feel_ like you're going fast. _I thought.

I tilted to the right and took the Jumper around in a circle that slowly spiralled upwards. Noticing that I was leaving the atmosphere, I took a dive towards the surface. Just before I hit the ocean, I straightened up and zoomed towards the mainland. Major Lorne had informed everyone that the mainland had some nice canyons that were perfect for training people to dodge and weave with the Puddle Jumpers.

I sighed and sank a bit lower into my seat, fully immerging myself into the systems of the Alteran ship. I felt the ship move on my whim and I smiled. I closed my eyes and used the Jumper's sensors to see where I was going. Driving the Jumper this way was much more effective and _much _more thrilling. I grinned as I arrived at my destination.

_Right, left, left again, up, dive, right, spin. _I thought; the Jumper did. I eventually pulled out of the canyon and aimed to go straight up. I shot out into space and out of range of the planet's gravitational field. I slowly reduced my speed before turning around and entering the gravity field again, establishing orbit around the planet that had been designated M35-117.

I leant back into my seat and sighed, completely relaxed. Yawning, I put up my feet and my eyes slowly started to droop…

*****

"_COLONEL SHEPPARD! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" _

I jumped up and nearly smashed into the windscreen of the Puddle Jumper. "Huh? Wha?" I said sounding clearly disorientated to the person on the other side of the communication.

"_WHO AUTHORISED YOU TO TAKE A JUMPER OUT AND FOR WHAT PURPOSE?"_

I rubbed my eyes to rid them of the weariness. _What were they talking about? _I thought. I looked out the windscreen and blinked a couple of times while I pondered the question, observing the planet below me.

_Wait a minute…_

My eyes widen and I sat up straight and immediately pressed the communications button down to reply.

"_Colonel Sheppard?" _Asked the person on the other line, waiting for my response.

I cleared my throat. _Think of an excuse think of an excuse think of an excuse! _Was the thought that went through my head repeatedly as I replied as casually as I could.

"Ah well…you know…taking the Jumper out for some training in the canyons on the mainland." I responded somewhat lamely.

Smooth Sheppard…real smooth.

There was a pause. _"If that is so then can you please kindly explain what you are doing up in orbit around the planet."_

"Hmm," I said. "That is a good question and one I have every intention of answering so whenI have an answer you'll be the first to know."

I heard some unintelligible muttering over the line. _"Just get back here. McKay has something on Michael."_

I gritted my teeth at the mention of Michael. "Be right there."

*****

"We managed to narrow it down to 2 addresses. Now one is a Wraith controlled world and we know that Michael and the Wraith don't get along so we didn't bother sending a team there but we sent a team to the other address M4R-355 and found evidence that a Cruiser had recently landed there." Rodney paused, "unfortunately there was no sign of Teyla…"

I clenched my jaw and nodded. _Of course. _Everyone around the table took a moment of silence.

I snorted rather loudly, causing everyone's attention to turn to me. I pretended not to notice their stares but instead kept my attention focused on the table in front of me. I clicked my tongue as I began to pick at the near perfect varnished oak table.

I knew I was making people uncomfortable with my silence. I continued to scratch and pick at the table for a few more moments before I finally decided to speak.

"Why wasn't I part of the team that went to M4R-355?" My voice was cold. It had been since Teyla had left.

More silence. I abandon my scratching at the table and stared everyone down. I was mildly surprised when they didn't flinch or back down but instead all looked rather guilty. I directed my attention to Woolsey and raised an eyebrow, waiting for the answer to my question.

"We all thought you were in your quarters asleep when you didn't respond to our hails on your earpiece. Chuck then informed us that a Jumper had appeared in orbit around the planet and we contacted you immediately." Woolsey shot the others a look before looking back to me again. "By then the team had already come back."

I pondered the information for a bit; then turned to Rodney. "If you thought I was asleep then why didn't you wake me up?" I didn't bother to keep the irritation out of my voice.

I glanced around the table to gauge everyone's reaction. Everyone looked guiltier than before.

"We thought you might like to rest. You've been a bit stressed out lately." Dr Keller said gently.

My gaze focused on her. "Stressed out? I'm not stressed! I just hate sitting around here while Teyla is out there in the hands of that maniac! Not to mention that Michael now finally has the final piece to perfecting his Hybrids! Do you remember what I said after I came back from the future? Michael will destroy _everything!_" I emphasized the last sentence but especially the word 'everything'. The mental image of Teyla's body dead on the ground sent a shiver through me. I wasn't going to let that happen in _this_ timeline.

I stood up. Why couldn't these people get the seriousness of the situation!

"Colonel I understand this must be frustrating for you but-" Woolsey started.

"_Frustrating?! _Frustrating is just the _beginning _of how I feel at the moment. You're all sitting around here acting as if you don't _care _that Michael has Teyla!" I said dangerously. I was quivering with the suppressed rage that was trying to consume me from the inside out.

"Teyla is in the hands of potentially the most dangerous threat in the Pegasus galaxy and here we are debating if I'm _stress out?! _We need to be out there searching for Teyla not talking about my stress levels! What is _wrong _with you people!" I raged.

Mr Woolsey stood up abruptly. "Colonel Sheppard! How dare you imply that we don't care about Teyla's wellbeing! We are doing everything in our power to find her so don't you stand there and accuse us of doing nothing!"

I glared at him. "Well you sure look like your-"

Ronon stood up and stormed over to me. He grabbed my shirt and shoved me roughly against the wall.

"Sheppard! You've been acting like a prick ever since Teyla left. _Stop thinking _you're the only one here who cares about Teyla. She is like my sister and I am as angry as you are about her abduction so don't you _dare _think that I, or anyone else, doesn't give a damn about her wellbeing." Ronon said very quietly but I heard the rage in his voice.

"I think now is a good time to finish up…" Dr Keller said from behind Ronon. I heard some rustling of papers and then footsteps heading out of the room. The doors automatically shut behind them, leaving just me and Ronon left in the room.

My anger slowly drained out of me and was replaced with weariness and sorrow. Ronon saw the change and let me go. I dropped to the floor with a thud and stayed there, not moving.

Ronon hesitantly squatted down beside me and patted my shoulder lightly. My throat tightened up and tears threatened to fall but I forced them back. I had to be strong; I had to be strong for Teyla.

"We will find her Sheppard. I know we will. We'll make Michael sorry that he ever took her from here." Ronon vowed.

I was glad that Ronon couldn't see my face. I felt that it had the word guilty written all over it. I knew that Teyla had willingly gone with Michael. I had decided not to share the note with anyone else but I couldn't bear to throw it away.

_You bastard Michael _I thought.

I gritted my teeth my then looked up at Ronon, my face set with determination.

"Yes, yes we will."

*****

"We need to contact Todd." I told Mr. Woolsey.

Mr. Woolsey stopped typing on his laptop and looked up at me. "Excuse me?"

"We need to contact-"

"Yes I know what you said Colonel but explain to me _why _we need to contact Todd of all people or in this case, Wraith?" Mr. Woolsey cut in.

I stared at him patiently for a bit before answering. "Cause Todd, compared to other Wraith, is rather civil and although he is a Wraith he has pulled through with his promises when dealing with us before. I wouldn't go as far to say that I trust him but he's a hell of a lot more trustworthy than any other Wraith we have encountered."

Mr. Woolsey looked at me as if he was waiting for me to continue. Seeing that I had finished, he shook his head with a look of bewilderment on his face. "And? He's Wraith! Why do we need a Wraith to help look for Teyla? I know that he helped you look for Teyla in the past and that resulted in the finding of Dr Beckett's clone but we had to give him the research for the Hoffan drug in return. This time we don't have anything to offer him."

Though annoyed he was right, I still persisted. "Well we can offer him something when the time comes to it but first we have to contact him."

Mr. Woolsey took a deep breath and sighed. "I'm sorry Colonel Sheppard. Protocol dictates that I don't jeopardize this base by willfully signaling the enemy of our position. Request denied."

My nostrils flared and I felt the rage in me flare but I forced it down. "Todd already knows that we are here but we could contact him from offworld if it would please the IOA." I walked right up to the desk. "Please. Just let me try this. It's the only option we have at the moment bar searching every single planet for a sign of her."

Mr. Woolsey looked at me coolly. "There is another option Colonel. We could always contact Dr Beckett and see if he could have any information on Teyla's would-be whereabouts." Mr. Woolsey said quietly but firmly.

"I won't allow you contact Todd _yet,_" He added on as I opened my mouth in protest. "But, if Dr. Beckett can't shed any light on where she is then…you have my permission to contact Todd from an _offworld base_."

I flashed him a grin and a quick thank you as I ran out of the room to go and get Ronon and Rodney.

*****

"What makes ye think I would know where Teyla is?" Dr. Beckett asked bewilderedly.

I bowed my head slightly. "Well you were with Michael for a time so you know him better than we do. Where would he take Teyla?"

Dr. Beckett frowned. "Well truthfully I don't see what Michael would want te do with Teyla since he was after her son."

I saw something flicker in Dr. Beckett's eyes. My eyes narrowed. "You're lying." I stated.

He looked down at the ground with a guilty expression on his face. He started to fidget and somewhere in my mind it registered that it was a very McKay thing to do. He looked back up at me and then his gaze flickered to Ronon and back. I turned and looked at Ronon and then back to Dr. Beckett, my eyebrow raised.

Dr. Beckett let out a sigh of defeat. "During the time I was with Michael, when he spoke of Teyla, he spoke of her harshly. He informed me that he might have te kill her after she had given birth te Torren." He looked back down at the ground again.

I crossed my arms and transferred my weight to my right leg. "Go on."

Beckett looked at Ronon again then back to me, fear clearly evident in his eyes. I rolled my eyes. "Rodney, Ronon can you leave us please."

I felt their stares burning a hole in the back of my head but surprisingly they left peacefully, Ronon grunting in anger as he did so.

I saw Dr Beckett clearly relax somewhat. When he saw my hard gaze he continued on. "Colonel, you know that being a doctor I am rather empathetic." I nodded.

"Well when Michael talked about killing Teyla or about Teyla in general I could see the pain that it brought him. He was hurting. It seemed clear that he didn't want to kill Teyla as much as say I wanted te poison the entire galaxy." Beckett stopped to allow me to speak.

I smiled humorlessly and looked at the ground then back at Dr. Beckett. "Are you telling me, that you think Michael has…_feelings _for Teyla?" My voice was deathly quiet and filled with crude humour.

Dr. Beckett gulped. He seemed to realise that he shouldn't have feared Ronon's reaction but mine. 'Aye. That was the impression I got Colonel." His voice shook slightly but he held firm to what he said.

I gritted my teeth. I felt like punching something. "Right." I forced my voice to stay civil. "But do you know where Michael would have taken her?"

Dr. Beckett shook his head. "If I am right in my theory, Michael would take Teyla somewhere safe. Somewhere such as the outer reaches of the galaxy so that ye can't find her and so that she'll be safe from any threat." He looked at me thoughtfully for a second and then added, "It would have to be at one of his facilities if he is planning to use Torren te perfect his hybrids; he'd be needing the equipment."

My eyes widened. Thanks to the data base of information retrieved from one of Michael's compounds, we know knew where a whole lot of his research facilities were but we were hesitant in looking at them considering what happened to the place where we had gotten the information from. That and the first address we dialed seemed to be a doosy.

I clapped the doctor on the shoulder, suddenly in a much better mood now that there was a lead for finding Teyla. "Thanks doc." I said and turned tail and ran out of the tent. I hit Ronon as I ran pass, indicated for him and McKay to follow. Ronon kept pace with me but Rodney lagged a bit behind.

"What did you learn?" Ronon asked gruffly.

"She's being taken to a facility somewhere near the outer edges of the galaxy." I replied.

Ronon grunted. "Where exactly?"

I shook my head. "We'll have to refer to the locations that we found in the last facility we were at."

Ronon snorted but said, "As if that will be helpful but whatever it takes to find her."

"It's the only lead we've got."

We reached the gate and I dialed the DHD. Things were finally looking up.

*****

_Teyla_

The wall of the Wraith ship was surprisingly comfortable. It was just the right temperature and it was soft. Granted it was slightly damp but it was heaven on my back. My back was almost healed, the scabs now becoming itchy and there had been many painful nights in the last week because of it.

Michael had not made an appearance since he had last left, condemning me with his emotions when he did. His hybrids had been the ones to bring food and water. I wasn't given another injection to take away any pain and none of my questions were answered by the hybrids. It was like they couldn't hear me. What was worst was that I couldn't keep Michael out of my head. His presence was constantly there. There was the odd occasion when it would recede a bit but it always came back. I was mystified by this. Normally Michael gave me the privacy of my own mind until he needed to talk and/or contact me but this constant presence bewildered me and led me to the conclusion that whatever had happened last week was the cause.

I sighed and fiddled with a strand of thread from the shapeless dress. I hadn't taken the dress off since I had first woken up although it wasn't like there was a lack of clothes to wear. Whenever I woke up there was food and clothes out for me to wear. The dresses were beautiful in their own simplicity but I ignored them, irritated that Michael hadn't seen it fit to provide me with some more manoeuvrable. Even if I were to put them on, I needed to bathe first. I was so filthy that I could _see _the layer of grime covering me.

_Maybe that's the reason Michael hasn't visited. _I thought humourlessly, _I stink too much._

I felt a bit edgy about have bathing on a Wraith ship but at this stage I really didn't have much choice. I could walk and stand up now that my back was partially healed and I wanted to take the opportunity to shower before we arrived at our destination.

I frowned. _What _was_ our destination?_

We had been in and out of hyperspace for 3 weeks now. Stopping above planets now and then for supplies but never long enough to get off of the ship for some much need fresh air. I had a brief notation that we may be heading to Earth somehow, knowing that aboard the___Daedalus _it took 18 days to ferry back and forth between the 2 galaxies. I had dismissed the idea remembering that Michael had no reason to go to Earth and he (still) did not have the co-ordinates.

First making sure that Torren was soundly sleeping, I picked up one of the dresses, a green one, and headed towards the shower. The shower and toilet were in the same room so I was familiar with the room and the locks on the door. I wasn't however, familiar with how to work the shower. It seemed to be similar to a sauna that the people from Earth at talked about. I slowly undressed, careful not to disturb my wounds and then looked for an on switch. Feeling mildly amused for some reason, I gingerly took a step inside to look for an on switch and gasped when I was splashed with hot water. The walls seemed to squirt out hot water when it sensed someone standing in a certain space. I tried not to think about the mechanics of how an _organic ship_ would come up with the water. Instead I relaxed, feeling the weeks of grime just wash away. It seemed I did not need any soap, the watery becoming soaps every once and a while.

Some time later, I stepped out of the shower feeling refreshed and happy. I dried myself off with a towel, softly pressing the towel down on my back, and then carefully got dressed. Once dressed, I left the room and unhurriedly walked to my sleep quarters, delighted with the feeling of the dress swirling around my legs. I dropped my dirty clothes on the bed and sat down.

Suddenly, I felt a stone coldness in my stomach and I froze. I looked to the door but it did not open. _No… _I thought, _not hybrid…_

When Torren started crying I knew it was the Wraith. An explosion rocked the ship and instinctively I reached out with my subconscious to the ship's conscious to see what had happened. I felt someone else's presence joined with the ship's computer as well - Michael. I ignored him, shoving him away from my mind as I sort to discover what was occurring.

_2 Hive ships…minor damage to hull…jumping into Hyperspace._

Satisfied with the action taking place, both the fact that the ship had been attacked and that we were escaping, I withdrew, recoiling when I felt Michael's mind brush against my own.

My eyes snapped open. I noticed that Torren had stopped crying and had fallen back asleep. A wave of exhaustion washed over me and I groaned. Interfacing with the Cruiser's awareness was tiring. I fell backwards onto the bed, ignoring the dull pain that reminded me of my injury, and rearranged my body around so that my head was on the pillows. I sighed again and closed my eyes, the plan of staying awake.

*****

_I walk down a corridor. The design is Lantean.__ Atlantis. I stop and I look to my right. John stands in the doorway. I look to my left. Michael stands in the other doorway. I look at John again. There is a smile on his face. He stretches his arms out to me and beckons me to walk over to him. I look to Michael. His face is impassive. _

"_Where should I go..go…go….go….." I ask Michael._

_Michael stares at me and says "I cannot stop you choosing him..him…him….him….." He looks down at the floor then back to me._

"_But I wish you would choose me." _

*****

When I next woke up, the quilt was covering me and Torren was lying next to me sleeping peacefully. I frowned. _Was he not in his cot before?_

I groaned and attempted to roll over onto my back but thought better of it and rocked back onto my stomach, snuggled into the comfort of the sheets. The dream had started to fade from my mind but I paid no heed to it. I sighed and put my hand over Torren, drawing comfort from his presence.

I closed my eyes, shutting out the Wraith surroundings. I did not want to look at my surrounds and be reminded of what I had gotten myself into. _After being stuck in the same room for 3 weeks you would think that I'd be use to it by now._ I thought absentmindedly.

I heard the door open and I quietly sighed. I did not open my eyes but succumbed to the warm cocoon of drowsiness that surrounded me, making me fall into a light doze but for all outwardly appearances, the illusion that I was asleep. I knew it was Michael, the waves of awareness all over me, and I wanted to confront him but I did not have will to battle with him at the moment.

Michael took a few steps into the room and then didn't move. It did not matter. I knew exactly where he was without even having to open my eyes. I could pinpoint his location as easily as I could feel the rising and falling of Torren's chest as he slept. With Michael's protectiveness and strength falling over me like a soft blanket, I couldn't help but let an out soft sigh.

I was unsure if Michael would leave me be or 'wake' me to talk to me. My breathing hitched slightly when I heard a quiet thud of him placing something near my bed, a rustle of movement and then, silence.

It took all of my will power not to gasp and remain relaxed when his fingers gently caressed my cheek. Soft but powerful waves of emotion flowed through me suddenly. It was if I could feel his every emotion as he felt it. So many I could not even begin to name them as they washed through me. My mind became clouded with colours, each colour identifying with an emotion. The intensity, however, was soft and in passing, fading in and out with each stroke of his fingers.

Still, Michael must have noticed something for he inhaled sharply. "Teyla…? He asked tentatively. He gently pressed against my mind, seeking a response to his question. With his fingers resting lightly on my cheek, I could do naught to hide the array of colours that danced in my mind.

I was surprised when I heard Michael chuckle quietly while his caresses slowly moved to my hair, gently stroking it. The colours faded completely as soon as his fingers left my skin, only to return just barely while he stroked my hair.

"Do not try to hide from me."

_-do not hide from me..me…me….me-_

Bewildered, I realised that he thought I was purposely showing him swirling colours to feint dreams. _He doesn't know what is happening to me…_

When I did not respond, the colours in my head darkened to reds to show his restrained frustration, his ministrations halting.

I winced when he closed his fist tightly, trapping strands of my hair in his hand, pulling them from my scalp. Thankfully, this meant he was not touching any part of my skin and the colours vanished and emotions vanished. I drew in a deep shuddering breath, finally remembering to breathe. He drew his hand away from my head as if it burned.

"Teyla? Are you alright?" A weight settled onto the bed next to me. "Look at me Teyla."

_-look at me..me…me….me-_

Against my will, I opened my eyes slightly. Michael immediately grabbed my chin and tilted my head so that he could search my face for any sign of what had caused my distress. This time, I could not restrain my gasp. A roar of emotions crashed over me like a wave breaks over the shore. The intensity of the onslaught was so breathtaking that I shut my eyes tightly. The previous gentle swirling of colours had turned into a raging storm with the broader skin contact.

The colours swirled with blues and slightly tinged with reds to reflect his concern and slight anger as he tightened his grip on my chin. I felt a sudden wave of anger of my own anger. _How __**dare **__he touch me! How __**dare **__he assume he can make me do his bidding! _

My eyes snapped open again and I shoved him violently away from me. On instinct, he drew back, the onslaught of emotion dissolving instantly which allowed me time to sit up and grab Torren while wildly scrambling away from him. Jumping off the bed, I ran to the door, plans and ideas already running through my head on how to get off the ship.

"No!" Michael shouted from behind me. "Teyla!"

I palmed the door and ran out through the door but before I knew it, Torren was out of my arms and I was being pushed against a wall.

"Take him!" Michael hissed at the hybrid that was holding Torren. I let out a cry of dismay as the hybrid walked away, taking Torren with him.

"No! Give me back my child!" I screamed at the retreating hybrid as I struggled against Michael.

The hybrid walked around the corner and out of sight. I felt tears start to run down my face and I did nothing to quell them. I let Michael see them; I let him see my pain as well as feel the intense agony that was coursing through me.

"No…" I murmured, dropping my head to the side and closing my eyes. To keep me from lashing out, Michael had pressed all of himself against me to keep me still. I could see the gentle swirls of colours behind my eye lids again and I briefly wondered why they were so weak when I realised it was because of the cloth that separated skin from skin.

I let my feelings run free, my face scrunched up in the pain of being separated from my child. I somewhat hoped that Michael was experiencing the same as I was but on the other hand I wanted it to be a secret, something I could use against him at the opportune moment.

"Teyla," Michael said sternly, his voice demanding that I look up at him. I disregarded him. I did not talk or acknowledge him. There would be no need to speak my demands to him; he knew what I wanted to the point I was pretty sure he was fighting with the urge to tell the hybrid to come back with Torren.

Michael waited me for comply with his demand. Seconds passed and I still did not move or so much batter an eyelid towards him. Over my sorrow, I felt his irritation build.

_-T__eyla…do not do this-_

He gripped me tighter, pulling me slightly away from the wall and wrapping his arms around me. The strength of the colours increased slightly and I started to struggle again, thinking that the different position would be more lenient. It wasn't.

"You will get him back. I just need to run some tests on him." Michael whispered in my ear. His arms around me was almost intimate, a lover's embrace and it made the colours in my mind swirl a soft purple. However I had no need or want of his affections. He had taken my child and I wanted him back.

_*You-*_

I started to tell him but then cut myself off. I was sure every pore of my skin was emitting loathing and sorrow so I did not trust myself to speak lest I say something I would regret.

Michael shifted his weight to his left foot and then suddenly he was carrying me back to the bed. I winced slightly at the pressure on my back but I still squirmed and thrashed about, trying to get him to release me. I was unsuccessful, his grip like iron.

_-be still..still…still….still-_

I gritted my teeth together and tried to overcome the strong mental command. My struggled lessened but did not stop. Michael seemed to find this acceptable and did not push me any further other than to keep the current command intact.

He placed me down surprisingly gently but it did not dull my anger. I started to twist and turn again, trying to dislodge his grasp. To an extent, I succeeded. I threw him off balance and he staggered backwards, giving me time to wiggle out of his grip and roll of the bed into an offensive position, crouching low to the floor.

"Give me back my son!" I growled my voice heavy with anger and anguish.

Michael stood tall, staring me down with something akin to guilt and rage in his eyes. "Really Teyla, you know I won't hurt him. He is perfectly safe."

His demeanor angered me further. In 1 step I was right in front of him. I raised my hand and slapped him so hard across the face that my hand tingled afterwards. A brief explosion of emotion followed the contact but vanish as soon as my hand left his skin. The feeling unbalanced me but I did my best not to let Michael know this. I pulled back my hand to strike him again when his head snapped back to face me and his hand shot up and caught my arm. His eyes were now blazing with anger.

Coolly, he said, "If you _ever _strike me again, I shall not be so forgiving." The faint colours swirling in my mind confirmed his threat.

He threw my arm away from him and stormed from the room. I clutched my arm to my chest tenderly. I could already feel the bruises forming. My anger began to evaporate, leaving me feeling weak and fragile. The pain from my back flared up and my arm began to throb. My hand was stinging and my legs felt like the jelly that Rodney liked to eat on Atlantis.

I let out a whimper at the thought of Atlantis and slowly slid to the ground, landing on my knees as my anguish took hold. Tears streamed down my face and a sob escaped my mouth. I fell from my knees and curled up into a little ball on the floor, weeping for the loss of my child.

*****

_Michael_

I had no choice but to leave Teyla at that moment. I was not myself, Teyla's emotions so strong and they were conflicting with my own. Anger and anguish being the major two. Those emotions inflamed my own, making me uniquely dangerous to her in particular.

As I briskly walked to my quarters, I raised a hand to my cheek and rubbed it gingerly. I had felt an explosion of emotion when her skin touched mine, one similar to the strong waves that vibrated through me when I had caressed her face and held her chin. It bewildered me because it was different to when I touched her mind. It was more…exhilarating. I made a note to try and not touch her in the future seeing that I could not shield my mind from her when there was skin to skin contact. Any other contact watered the effect down but not enough. More importantly, it was _hurting _her. The experience did not offer her the same exhilaration that it offered me. I had seen the clouded look on her face when I grabbed her chin. The stress was becoming too much for her to bear, the bond and the situation with Torren.

I paused. _Torren…maybe I had gone too far in taking him at such a crucial stage _I thought. I dismissed the thought with a snarl and kept walking. _No. It needed to be done eventually and I could not let her get away with such an act of disobedience with out reprimand._

The work with Torren's blood wasn't going well. I could not find the key element in his developing DNA to perfect the Hybrids. I needed to get Torren into my laboratory and scan him to see if there was a problem with his health that could be impacting on his blood. A sample of his bone marrow would also prove useful, it being rich in his DNA compared to the sample of his blood that I had taken previously.

I reached my room and I sat down on the bed, closing my eyes. I wanted to sleep but I did not think that would be wise. I knew the Hive ship that had attacked us was of the Wraith the Lantians called 'Todd'. I also knew that it wouldn't be long before the Lantians turned to him for help in locating me. I growled and then settled my mind down so that I could begin to meditate. I stretched out with my mind, initially to join with the ship but unwillingly, I brushed against Teyla's mind. It was almost instinct to do so. It was at this point I realised that I could feel nothing from her, her anguish gone. I tilted my head with a frown and then relaxed my facial muscles when I figured out why. She was sleeping, dreaming about Sheppard again. I twitch my nose in anger at the thought of Sheppard.

_How dare he be the one she- _I cut myself off, unwilling to let my thoughts go down that road. Teyla had every right to dream about Sheppard. He was one of her friends.

_Friends? You saw the way Sheppard looked at her; talked to her…they are more than _just _friends. _The voice in my mind struck true. My fingers curled together in a tight fist.

"He will not touch her!" I said furiously. "He will not touch her _ever _again! He does not deserve her! To have her in his arms; to cherish her like I-" I choked on the last sentence. I wrapped my arms tightly around my stomach and doubled over so my head was resting on my knees.

"What is happening to me…" I whispered and for once; my mind could not give me an answer.

Wearily, I brushed against Teyla's mind again to – for all intents and purposes – say sorry. I frowned at what I saw. She was now dreaming about me. As soon as I realised this, I was suddenly _in _her dream.

*****

_And so I dream…_

_We are standing up and are both surrounded by fire. My arms are wrapped around her, restraining her._

_I look at her and recoil in shock, only to discover that I have no control over my body. Fear shines through her eyes as she looks at me._

"_Why are you doing this?" She pleads._

_I try to ask what I have done but my mouth does not respond. I throw her roughly away from me and unsheathe a dagger from my waist. I advance on her threateningly, the dagger raised. She tries to scramble away from me but I somehow hold her still with my mind._

"_WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!" She screams again. My body halts it advance and tilt its head to one side. I try again in vain to regain control of my body but I have no success. A tear slides down my cheek._

"_Because you chose him." _

_My hand draws back and the shoots forward. The dagger plunges into Teyla's torso again, and again, and again._

_Inside my body I watch in horror as I stab Teyla. I draw back the blade and pause. I look up at the blade and watch in horrid fascination as the blood runs down the blade and drips onto my hand. The blood touches my hand and I have full control over my body again. I throw the dagger away from me and drop besides Teyla, lifting her head onto my lap and cradling it. I feel more tears roll down my cheeks and I brush the hair out of Teyla's dying eyes._

_Teyla blinks long and slow at me, her eyes full of acceptance and sorrow. She struggles to say something, her lips moving soundlessly. I dive into her mind to hear the words she was desperately trying to say._

I never chose him…

_She takes a deep, shuddering breath and then she is gone._

*****

**Ooooooo! Cliff hanger!! Well…cliff hanger type thing. The last scene was initially to be the first part of the next chapter but I ****sort of went 'Oh what the heck!' **

**While writing chapter 4 I had this idea and I was like 'Thank **_**GOD **_**I hadn't all ready posted this chapter. Then I had a brief panic attack when proof reading because Michael does visit Teyla again in Ch. 2 after the 'event' but it's all good! He doesn't touch her!**

**OK! Some explanations. Their 'bond' allows them to feel each other's presence and emotions**** as well as mentally talk to each other. However Michael is able to block his emotions from Teyla but Teyla does not know how to block hers from his. Skin to skin contact is when they can sense each other's emotions no matter what. Michael cannot block this. The colours Teyla (or Michael) see is when they close their eyes and as explained they colours reflect emotions in a more visual sense. It's like when you stare at a bright light than close your eyes. You can sort of still see the bright light behind your eye lids. **

**Now that I have wasted you time with this EXTREMELY long author's note, I shall continue writing chapter 4/5.**

**:D**

**EP**


	4. Chapter 4: Bothersome Situations

**Disclaimer:****I do not own anything to do with Stargate Atlantis. All rights belong to MGM studios. All I own is the plot but I might not even own that, other people being very creative nowadays.**

**A/N: The dream sequences are always (attempted to be) said in present tense so that you can tell the difference. In this chapter when Teyla remembers the dream it is written in past tense to show that she is not actually dreaming it at the present moment.**

**Decisions **

**Chapter 4: Bothersome Situations**

_Teyla _

I pounded my fists on the door, screaming for the guards outside to open it.

I had been doing this since I had last woken up. The dreams had been disturbing, changing from John to Michael in a matter of seconds. I had died in the dream concerning Michael; him killing me. The dream was too realistic, like Michael was actually there. It felt more like a vision. I shivered as the details of the 'dream' came to mind.

**

_We were both standing facing each other. His arms were around me restrictively and I could see the surroundings of fire reflecting in his eyes. In his eyes is emptiness and it shook me to the core. Fear made me tremble in his grasp. _

"_Why are you doing this?" I pleaded. _

_He threw me away from him and unsheathed a deadly looking dagger from his waist. He walked slowly towards me and still all I could feel from him was emptiness. He raised the dagger and I realised too late what he intended to do. I tried to move away but all my limbs felt as if they were made of stone. My struggling ceased when Michael reached out with his mind and froze me. I felt anguish at the misuse of our bond, knowing that it was never meant to be used for this purpose. I felt like Carson did when he had tried to shoot Michael. I tried with all my will but I just couldn't move away from Michael's advancing form._

"_WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!" I manage to scream again, the panic overwhelming my voice. He paused, his head tilting to one side as he looked at me. Rage and sorrow clouded his eyes. The hand holding the knife shook slightly before he tightened his grip on it._

_His jaw clenched and I thought I saw a tear slide down his cheek as he spoke, "because you chose him." _

_His hand drew back and then shot forward, plunging the dagger into my chest. I did not scream or even utter a sound as the blade sliced through me again and again. The pain was immense but I did not take my eyes off of Michael's. In his eyes I saw pain and sorrow. I sighed and accepted my fate. _

_Michael fully drew the blade back once more and stopped. He turned his face away from me and looked up at the knife. I turned my gaze to the knife too, fighting to stay alive. I watched as my blood dripped down on the Michael's hands. _

_His whole demeanour changed. He threw the dagger away from him as if it were poison. He dropped beside me and lifted my head onto his lap. I could do no more than look up directly at Michael. A black haze began to surround my vision and I knew I didn't have much time left. _

_Michael's tears fell onto my face as he brushed some stray hairs out of my eyes. I blink at him lethargically. My eyes watered and I move my lips soundlessly, trying to say something to him. Words clamoured in my head. I grimaced and shifted my head to try and remove the words. I swallow thickly as Michael entered my mind. _

I never chose him… _I thought although I as unsure to as why I did._

_I took a deep breath, my last as I surrendered myself to death's embrace. _

_**_

I gritted my teeth. The dream was too real. Every bit of the dream had been burnt into my mind. I flared my nostrils and pushed the remnants of the dream to the back of my mind.

I pounded on the door again. "OPEN THIS DOOR!"

The door still did not open. I groaned and knelt against the door hopelessly. I looked at the control panel wistfully, wishing I could be like Rodney and open the door myself. I stood up and started to pace. It was now more than ever I wished that John would rescue me even though I knew that if he did it wouldn't change much. The connection I now shared with Michael would make me a security risk to Atlantis and Mr Woolsey wouldn't dare let me back if he knew what the implications were. I sighed and leaned up against the wall, running a hand through my hair.

_Michael had been right about one thing _I mused, thinking about Torren, e_motions _can_ be useful instruments._

I pushed myself off of the wall and returned to the door, my thoughts reigniting my attempts to get through the door and find Torren.

*****

_John_

I grinded my teeth together as Rodney talked about the calculations that he and Todd had worked on to make tracking Michael's ship easier. It was the 7th time that Rodney found it relevant to talk about it and it was starting to get on my nerves.

"As you know each Wraith ship emits its own bio-signature allowing us to track it. However, Michael has found a way to mask that but as you know, everything leaves a trace. Todd and I have managed to pick up some radiation that if left by Michael's ship everything it jumps to hyperspace. With this information, we are able-"

"ALRIGHT!" I roared at Rodney. "I get it! You and Todd figured out how to track Michael's ship. Now what?"

Rodney looked a bit taken back by my outburst but he seemed to have expected it. "Well Todd is now tracing him around the galaxy. Our latest communiqué states that he is catching up more and more to Michael every jump. It was a miracle that he managed to find Michael's last jumping place to begin with! Do you know how big this galaxy is? It would have taken years to find it if-" He stopped when he saw my thunderous expression. He swallowed visibly. "Todd's on it."

I nodded at him and continued to eat my meal when the thought occurred to me. "What happens when Todd catches up with Michael and manages to disable his ship?"

"Ah. Todd will then board the ship and retrieve Teyla and then bring her back here." Rodney let out a small chuckle. "Foolproof!"

I grinned humourlessly. "That seems like an awful lot for Todd to do willingly." I leaned forward and rested my arms on the table. "So what exactly did we offer Todd in return for all of this?"

Rodney looked away somewhat awkwardly. He mumbled his response inaudibly. "What was that?" I questioned.

Rodney looked at the ceiling and said a bit louder this time, "access to the Ancient database."

My eyes bludged and I stood up, the now empty tray of food in front of me sliding off the table and onto the ground. Rodney winced at my behaviour but I got the impression that he was thoroughly expecting this response.

"We offered him WHAT?!" I was shocked, outraged. "And _Woolsey _agreed to this?"

"Well he was the one who offered the deal." Rodney said nonchalantly.

I rolled my eyes. _Figures _I thought as I reached down and picked the tray up off of the floor and slammed it down on the table, still contemplating the deal that had been made.

"Couldn't we offer him anything else?" I asked curiously.

"No that was the only thing he wanted that we were offering." Rodney responded raising his hand as if to ward my offensive questions off.

I nodded absentmindedly instead of replying. Rodney continued. "His first demand was for the information on intergalactic hyperdrives that we retrieved from the _Aurora_ but Woolsey gave an outright no."

I glanced up at Rodney before returning my attention back to the empty tray, silently picking at the little morsels of food that clung to the sides of the bowls. "And you think Todd _won't _be able to find that answer in the database?"

"No."

I looked fully up at Rodney. "No?" I asked, confused.

"No." Rodney repeated. "Todd only asked to see 1 section of the database; the section concerning the Wraith and their evolution. Woolsey saw no harm in this so he accepted. We will isolate that section to a firewalled computer so that there'll be no viruses and he will be unable to access anything else in the database."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "Neat."

Rodney gave me a quick nod and then stood up. "Well if you'll excuse me, we aren't expecting Todd to take too long to retrieve Teyla so Zelenka and I better get to work on isolating the subject of the Wraith to another computer for Todd to take away."

"Take it away? Do we have enough space on one of those things to store even _some _of that information?" I asked sceptically but Rodney had already left. I sighed and sat down dejectedly in the chair, looking down at the table in front of me...wondering.

Ronon told me later that I had sat at the table for another 4 hours, staring endlessly at the table in front of me. I frowned when he told me, having no recollection of the incident. All I remembered was Rodney leaving and a nervous cleaner taking away my tray.

*****

"INCOMING!" I shouted. "HEAD FOR THE GATE!"

A loud explosion followed by a wave of heat came from somewhere behind me, forcing me to run faster. Ronon's blaster let out its trill song as he blasted the advancing Wraith drones. The dart did a loop and raced back towards us, firing its energy weapon.

"STEVENS! DIAL THE GATE!" I yelled at him as he crouched behind the DHD to avoid being in the line of fire. I saw the look of incredibility on his face before he stood up, still crouching slightly, and dialled the DHD.

I turned around and faced the sky, aiming my firearm at the ship as it flew over head again. It jerked when an array of bullets hit its wing but still it kept on flying. I heard the kawoosh of the Stargate and instantly turned around, keying into my earpiece.

"Lower the shield! We're comin' in hot!" I told the people on the other side. I saw Stevens type in his authentication code on his IDC out of the corner of my eye before he made a dash to the gate.

"Ronon, Rodney! Go!" I waved my arm at him when I reached the gate. I knelt down on one knee and offered them some cover fire as they ran through the gate. I took one more look at the battlefield before letting myself fall backwards into the wormhole.

The gut-wrenching feeling of being dematerialized and rematerialized _backwards _caused me to lose my balance when I reached the other side of the wormhole. The shield immediately flared up a few centimetres from my face as I tumbled backwards onto my behind.

I sat there for a few seconds before jumping up and seeing if the rest of my 'team' was alright. I sighed when I saw Stevens talking to Mr Woolsey with a look of outrage on his face.

"He _clearly _risked his team members to engage the enemy when it easily could have been avoided." I heard him say.

I approached the conversation, my hands resting lightly on my firearm with a look of polite curiosity. "What's going on here Captain?"

Stevens avoided my eyes but he clearly looked irritated by the tone of my voice. "Nothing sir, just discussing with Mr Woolsey my problems your ethics on this mission." He responded, his voice wavering.

I raised my eyebrows and smiled sarcastically. "Oh is that so? And ahh… and what problems may they be?"

Still not looking at me, Stevens said, "You put the team in jeopardy by willing participating in a battle against the Wraith with the locals. We needed not involve ourselves in the battle sir."

I put on my tough military face. "There were innocent people back there. They needed help with dealing with the Wraith so we stepped in." I said as I pointed at him with my right hand.

Stevens finally looked up at me, anger clouding his eyes. "With all due respect _sir;_ they were handling it fine."

I noticed that he stressed the 'sir' and my nostrils flared. "You are dismissed, _Captain._"

He mockingly saluted me and then left. I turned to Woolsey. "I'll take that as you need another replacement?" Woolsey asked wearily. I gave me a curt nod and then turned to Rodney and Ronon who had been watching the display with mild interest.

"Come on guys, debrief." I said dully. They nodded and headed to the debriefing room.

*****

"I don't know why Woolsey insists that we have another team member. I mean, what do we need one for?" Ronon asked.

His staff moved to my left hip before changing course with a flick of his wrist to arc towards my face. Knowing that one end of the staff will still be able to hit me while I blocked the other end, I jumped back and held my staff diagonally in front of me with both hands, widening my stance so that I was less likely to be unbalanced by the force of his next strike which I knew was coming.

"Ahh something about regulations; you know, having to have 4 people for safety or some crap like that." I responded lightly. I too, was annoyed at the 'regulation' that Woolsey had put across.

Ronon relaxed his posture and took a step back, inviting me to do the same. "Oh really?" He asked.

I tightened my grip on my staff. I knew better than to fall for one of Ronon's tricks. Ronon saw my body tense and he grinned. The grin made me feel more edgy and I leant back just a tad. Ronon charged at me, swinging his staff side to side so fast it was almost a blur. I had to rely on instinct to avoid getting hit in the face or crotch. Once I had enough space to move, I went on offensive, striking my staff towards all of Ronon's vulnerable points.

Ronon chuckled as he easily kept up with my strikes. He, however, stopped chuckling when I managed to get him across the shoulder. His face turned into a snarl and he shrugged off his defensive position and attacked.

_WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! _Three consecutive hits to both my legs and arms. While I was busy trying to breathe, Ronon swung be around and kicked my legs out from under me. He held the staff against my neck, grinning.

"I don't think hitting you once is worth being hit three times and bowled over." I rasped out, still trying to get more oxygen in my lungs. Ronon just grinned and offered me and hand. I grasped his firmly and hauled myself up.

I leant on my staff as my breathing returned to normal and watched Ronon pace around the room.

"Why can't _you_ pick out the extra team member and not Woolsey?" Ronon asked, swinging his staff around.

I laughed. "Hey buddy, if it were up to me we'd have Major Lorne but he has his own team."

Ronon shrugged, still pacing. "If it were up to me we'd still have Teyla."

My smile instantly turned into a scowl. "Ronon..." I said warningly.

"I mean, why aren't we out there looking for her?! We've spent enough time healing and training. Why can't _we_ search for her?" He asked, turning towards me.

I looked towards the ground, a look of anger on my face. _I don't want to talk about this now; I don't want to talk about this now._ I told myself but still my mouth spoke anyway.

"Rodney and Todd are working on it. Rodney says that Todd is close to catching up with Michael now." I murmured, not trusting myself to speak any louder.

Ronon approached me. "Who cares! We can't trust a _Wraith_ to bring Teyla back safely. We need to be looking for her ourselves."

I gritted my teeth but still did not look up at Ronon. He was voicing all of my thoughts and all of my wants. I fully 100% agreed with him but I couldn't let him know that. After hours of arguing with both Rodney and Woolsey I figured out that there was nothing I could do besides to sit and wait as they had requested. Well, it was either that or be court martialled and I don't think that would help Teyla much.

"Sheppard!" Ronon yelled when I didn't respond. I jerked my head up towards him. The look on his face reflect mind albeit for different reasons.

I slumped my shoulders. "I think we need to go along with Woolsey and Rodney just for the moment-" I started but Ronon cut me off.

"What? Sheppard, she is out there," he said as he pointed to the window, "and we need to find her before Michael does who knows what to her."

Ronon then took a step back from me and crossed his arms. "And if you won't look for her..." He paused, letting his words sink in. "I will."

My eyes widened before I scowled. "Ronon, all I am asking is that you wait a couple more days. If Todd comes up with nothing then we'll _both _go looking for her whether Woolsey agrees or not."

I was sort of proud about how well I was handling the situation and the thought that Teyla would be proud sprung to mind as well. Ronon hesitated in his response, instead turning around to snap the staff in half across his thigh. I flinched but I was expecting the response.

He turned back around to me and pointed 1 broken half of the staff at me. "3 days and if we don't hear from _Todd_ from then I'm leaving whether you're coming with me or not."

I nodded picking up on his emphasis on Todd's name and gestured for him to exit. He threw the broken staff onto the ground and stormed out of the room, the door ironically shutting with a soft sigh though I'm sure Ronon would have slammed the door in his temper.

I echoed the door's sigh and ran my hand through my sweaty hair. Walking over to the rack, I placed my staff in its slot and then bent down and retrieved Ronon's discarded one. I stood up and looked at the splintered ends of both halves of the broken fighting stave. Things were starting to get out of hand. I thought Ronon was absolutely right in his response to the situation, thinking we should be the ones out there searching for her but my rational side agreed that waiting for Todd would be the best course of action.

I shook my head and placed the broken pieces gently against the wall. "We need you back Teyla." I whispered to myself before walking out of the room.

*****

_Michael_

My knuckles had turned white against the table with the strain I had placed upon them. _Anger, pain, sorrow, anguish, confusion, emptiness..., anger, pain, sorrow, anguish, confusion, emptiness..._

These were the emotions I was feeling over and over again and it was clouding up my mind, preventing me front completing any of the test that had to be run on Torren before I could return him to his mother.

_*MICHAEL! GIVE ME BACK MY SON!*_ She screamed again across our link.

I clenched my fists harder together in an effort not to pick up the child and give him back to Teyla right at this moment. I reached up with a ridged hand and pressed the button to run the scan again.

Torren seemed to know that his mother was in distress and kept wiggling around, making the scans hard to read. "Stop moving child." I muttered under my breath, knowing full well it wouldn't change anything.

The scanner beeped in protest against the movement. I growled and pressed the button to run the scan again. I walked around the control panel and approached Torren. When he saw me, his face scrunched up and he started to cry. I scowled.

I shot a look to the hybrid at the door. _–you! Get the human wet nurse for the child-_

The hybrid bowed and then left. I glanced down, irritated at the child when the volume of his cries heightened.

_*WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM?!* _

Teyla demanded, her fear leeching over her words.

I gritted my teeth together and thoroughly resisted sending back a reply however my irritation could not help but be leaked back to her, letting her know that I could hear her.

_*Michael...please... * _She asked quietly, her voice soft and full of sorrow. I hesitated, thrown by her change of tactics. Teyla's words triggered my memory of the dream from previous night and I physically cringed away from the thought. My lips silently mouthed the word 'no' as the images hammered against my mind. I was frozen. I couldn't move as I watched my worst fear play through my mind again and again. It was Teyla – ironically enough – who broke me out of my reverie as she finished her sentence.

_*…bring him back to me...*_

My head snapped to the consol as I heard a successful beep. My lips curved into a triumphant smile. I looked to a hybrid at the door and jerked my head towards Torren.

_-You, take the child to his chamber-_

The hybrid hesitated before briskly approaching Torren and picking him up gently. He looked to me again with a questioning frown on his face. "To where..?"

I growled at him and he bowed deeply, still hugging Torren to the contours of his chest. "To the chambers he was staying in while his mother was sick! Now go before my patience expires!"

The hybrid backed out of the room quickly, not turning his back towards me until he was out of the room. As an afterthought, I reached out and told the hybrid how was searching for the human wet nurse to take her to the chambers as well.

_*NO MICHAEL!*_

I pushed her voice away from me, ignoring the trickle of guilt that filled me as Teyla's anguished cries filled my head.

*****

**That took longer than expected to write! I went for about 2 weeks with out so much as opening the document. Sorry. **** I was working on my other story for the Inheritance Cycle called 'Mute One'. Check it out if you know anything about Eragon or Eldest.**

**I actually cut out the whole last scene in this and changed it a bit so it's a tad shorter than it could have been. Sorry again.**

**The next chapter I haven't started yet and it's completely new (no base template to work from) so it might take awhile.**

**Review!**

**EP**


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